Marvel In, Jonas Out

The expected has occurred, and here’s how it was put to me in a call from the 49ers: “The contract of Jonas Jennings has been terminated.” While the move was anticipated, it does reflect a difference from what general manager Scot McCloughan said several weeks ago when he responded to a question about Jennings by saying that he was a 49er and that he was under contract.

Did Jennings’s decision to stay in Florida instead of participate in minicamp and the offseason program finally force the 49ers to release him? Possibly.

Also the 49ers probably didn’t want to make the move unless they had someone to replace him. That’s where Marvel Smith comes in. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat is reporting that Smith signed a two-year, $10.5 million deal. Hopefully, Smith isn’t nearly as sensitive nor averse to playing nicked up as Jennings was, but he is an older (31) established veteran (went to the Pro Bowl in 2005) with an extensive injury history (he has missed 15 games in the last two years) that could prevent him from being a every-game player.

Jonas is out.

Certainly, it was the right move to finally let Jennings go, and the process was admirable. The 49ers didn’t release him until they had a replacement. Now the question is, will that replacement be healthy enough to contribute and if so, how much?

Those unknowns make drafting another tackle, even in the first round (no. 10 overall) a real possibility. No team can have enough tackles, and the last few years, the 49ers haven’t had nearly enough. The result? 110 sacks over the past two seasons, more than any other team.